Guide loop assembly

ABSTRACT

A guide loop assembly for a seat belt has a core body with spaced front and rear flanges and an arcuate bearing surface for the seat belt extending therebetween. An arcuate shell cover is provided and has a concave configuration relative to the arcuate bearing surface. The shell cover extends between the front and rear flanges thereof The shell cover includes a bushing portion integrally connected by a flexible hinge to the concave core configuration portion. The integral hinge is connected to an impact cover as by threading a flexible portion of the hinge through a hinge portion such as a split pin on the impact cover. In a method assembly, the impact cover and shell cover are hinged together and mounted on the core. After the fastener is inserted through the assembly, the impact cover is pivoted about the hinge to cover a fastener for the assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Nos.: 60/717,697, filed Sep. 16, 2005; and60/717,698, filed Sep. 16, 2005; both of which are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a guide loop assembly for a seat beltsystem. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relateto a guide loop assembly having a cover with an integral adapter piece.Embodiments of the present invention relate to a guide loop assemblyhaving distinct front and back cover pieces.

Guide loop assemblies are mounted on the frame of a vehicle fordirecting a webbing such as a shoulder belt or seat belt above anoccupant's shoulder. The guide loop assemblies, also known as “D-rings”,are usually made with a load bearing steel core. The core has one endmounted to the vehicle's frame by a fastener and a separate opening thatreceives the seat belt.

One standard type of core has a curved, saddle-shaped, load-bearing wallto support the seat belt. The load-bearing wall faces the opening thatreceives the seat belt and provides a smooth turning point in the seatbelt's pathway to permit easy adjustment of the seat belt. The curved,load-bearing wall extends away from the opening and forms an outer rimon the core with two generally parallel flanges spaced apart from eachother. In contrast, other cores require extra plastic pieces orlow-friction coatings to faun the seat that the seat belt rests on andslides against, adding to the expense of the assembly.

Known guide loop assemblies with the double-flange type of core havecovers attached to the ends of the flanges to make the guide loopassembly more aesthetically pleasing and to match the decor of theinterior of the vehicle. The covers also act to protect the core fromwear and to protect an occupant who may impact the edges of the flangeson the guide loop assembly during a vehicle collision.

One such cover is described by U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0012321to Moendel et al. which discloses a single cover piece clipped on, orinjection molded with, both flanges of the core. The cover piece isdesigned so that the belt-bearing wall of the core straddles the solidpiece of the cover under the core that completely fills the spacebetween the flanges of the core. The single piece construction also hasa complicated shape with a number of horizontal support ribs on one sideand a protruding circular segment on the other side for abutting thebottom edges of the flanges of the core. Such a configuration isrelatively expensive since it requires more material and adds complexityto the molds used to produce the cover piece.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,327 issued to Janz requires a largenumber of components for the D-ring including a pair of side covermembers that are slid laterally onto the D-ring from opposite sidesthereof, a stop disk for limiting the angle of turning of the D-ring, anadapter having a collar for mounting about the bolt fasteners, and acover cap. These large number of components require assembly, separateinventory and other considerations adding to the final cost ofmanufacture and assembly of the guide loop assembly requires unnecessarystructure in the form of a spiraling wall as part of a core cover. Thewall is disposed underneath the seat-belt bearing surface of the core,raising the cost of the assembly.

Some known guide loop assemblies also have energy absorbing adaptersattached to the D-ring core for covering the fastener and D-ring coreand positioned to absorb energy received from impact forces from anoccupant's head hitting the guide loop assembly during a vehiclecollision. Sometimes the adapter also extends over the belt receivingsurface on the D-ring core to reduce the size of the opening receivingthe seat belt to a thin slot in order to maintain the seat belt againstthe core's load bearing wall.

A number of these conventional energy absorbing adapters are distinctfrom the core and the other cover pieces on the core. These adaptershave a back or base, a front cover piece and a bendable hinge piececonnecting the top of the base to the top of the front cover. With theseconfigurations, the energy absorbing adapter is assembled on the core bymounting the base on the rear of the core, and then bending the hinge tomount the front cover on the front of the core.

Another type of adapter is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,311 issuedto Pfeiffer, which discloses molding a cover as a coating over most ofthe D-ring core and provide a hinged fastener cover that is integrallyattached by the cover coating which is an ionomer plastic resin or otherlubricous polymeric material such as DuPont's Bexloy W. The coating ofmaterial is molded over most of the core body. Because the cover isintegral with the coating, it is also made from the same material as thecoating. Rather than the belt sliding over a metal-double flanged guideloop surface, in this patent the belt slides over the plastic moldedcoating on the core.

Accordingly, a need exists for a more efficient construction of a guideloop assembly with a double-flanged core. More particularly, anaesthetically pleasing guide loop assembly that provides manufacturingand attendant cost efficiencies while protecting an occupant from injurywould be desirable.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the invention relates to a seat belt device. The seatbelt device comprises a seat belt and a guide loop assembly for guidingand supporting the seat belt. The guide loop assembly includes: a loadbearing body with a load bearing wall and an opening through which theseat belt passes; an integral and one-piece cover and base portion, thecover covers a lower portion of the load bearing body; a hinge portionintegral with the cover and base portion and configured to allow afolding hinge movement of the cover relative to the base portion; and animpact protection cover mounted on a load bearing body.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a guide loop assembly fora seat belt. The guide loop assembly comprises: a core body havingspaced front and rear flanges and an arcuate bearing surface for theseat belt extending therebetween; and an arcuate shell having a concaveconfiguration relative to the arcuate bearing surface and extendingbetween the front and rear flanges thereof.

Yet another embodiment of the invention relates to a guide loop assemblyfor a seat belt. The guide loop assembly comprises: a body having amounting opening for an anchor fastener and a bearing surface for theseat belt; an annular bearing member having a hinge for pivoting thebearing member to fit the opening; and an impact protection member forcovering the mounting opening and anchor fastener therewith, and havinga pivot portion for pivoting of the body thereabout.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a guide loop assembly fora seat belt. The guide loop assembly comprises: a body having spacedfront and rear flanges forming a space therebetween, and a bearingsurface for the seat belt extending the front and rear flanges; a shellextending between the front flange and the rear flange for covering atleast a portion of a space between the front and rear flanges; a basepivotally attached to the shell for pivoting the base relative to theshell and body to mount the base on the body; and a cover memberdistinct from the base member and attached to the base.

Yet another embodiment of the invention provides a guide loop assemblyfor a seat belt. The assembly comprises: a metal core body having afastener-receiving opening and a belt bearing surface; a one-piece coverhaving a cover portion for covering a lower portion of the core body; abase portion integrally formed with the cover portion of the one-piececover; a bushing portion on the base portion for being inserted into thefastener-receiving opening on the metal core body; an integral hingeportion on the one-piece cover between the bushing portion and the coverportion for a folding hinge movement relative to one another forpositioning on the core body; and an impact protection cover mounted onthe metal core body and positioned for impact by a passenger at the timeof an accident.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a method of assembling acover on a core body having a slot for a seat belt. The methodcomprises: providing the core body having a belt bearing surface portionand an opening for receiving a fastener; providing a first cover havinga shell portion for covering the belt bearing surface position andhaving a hinges and a bushing portion for inserting into a fastenerreceiving opening in the core body; providing a impact protective,second cover for covering the fastener for the core body having a strapreceiving member; attaching the first and second covers to one anotherat the hinge; positioning the shell portion to cover at partially thebelt bearing surface portion of the core body and inserting the bushingportion into the fastener receiving opening; and positioning the impactprotective cover over the fastener.

Another embodiment of the invention provides seat belt device. Thedevice comprises a seat belt and a guide loop assembly for guiding andsupporting the seat belt. The guide loop assembly includes: a loadbearing body with a load bearing wall and an opening through which theseat belt passes; a cover shell portion to cover at least a portion ofthe load bearing member; an impact protection member; and a baseportion. The base portion includes an integrally formed hinge configuredto form a folding hinge connection with the impact protection member orthe cover shell portion.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only,and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following description, appendedclaims, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in thedrawings, which are briefly described below.

FIG. 1 is a front and right perspective view of a fully assembled guideloop assembly.

FIG. 2 is a rear and left perspective view of the fully assembled guideloop assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded, rear perspective view of the guide loop assemblyof FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a central, cross-sectional, side view of the assembled guideloop assembly of FIG. 1 and showing an adapter and shell mounted on acore.

FIG. 5 is a bottom, front perspective view of a core for the guide loopassembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an off-center, cross-sectional side view of a lower portion ofthe guide loop assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a top, close-up perspective view showing a portion of anadapter cover member of the guide loop assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a partially exploded, rear perspective view of the guide loopassembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a front and right perspective view of an alternativeembodiment of a fully assembled guide loop assembly.

FIG. 10A is an exploded, perspective view of the guide loop assembly ofFIG. 9.

FIG. 10B is a bottom, perspective view of a load-bearing body for theguide loop assembly of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11A is a central, cross-sectional, side view of the assembled guideloop assembly of FIG. 9 and showing an adapter and cover members mountedon a core body and a sonic weld connection between the cover members.

FIG. 11B is a close-up, cross-sectional view of a welding concentratoron a rim of one of the cover pieces for the guide loop assembly of FIG.9.

FIG. 12 is an off-center sectional, side view of a lower rim portion ofthe assembled guide loop assembly of FIG. 9 and showing the weldedconnection between the cover members.

FIG. 13 is a front, perspective view of a rear cover member for analternative, snap-fit guide loop assembly.

FIG. 14 is a close-up, cross-sectional, side view of a lower portion ofthe alternative guide loop assembly and showing the snap-fit engagementof the front and rear cover members to each other.

FIG. 15 is a rear, perspective view of a front cover member for thealternative guide loop assembly.

FIG. 16 is a close-up, bottom, perspective view of an exemplary shoulderon the rear cover member of the alternative guide loop assembly.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional, side view of the alternative guide loopassembly and showing the snap-fit connection of the shoulders of thefront and back cover members.

FIG. 18 is a rear and left perspective view of the assembled guide loopassembly of FIG. 9.

FIG. 19 is a rear, perspective view of a rear cover member for the guideloop assembly of FIG. 9.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the internal sides of an adapter forthe guide loop assembly of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to one disclosed embodiment, a guide loop assembly has aD-ring core body with spaced front and rear flanges and an arcuatebearing surface for the seat belt extending therebetween. An arcuatecover shell is provided with a concave configuration relative to thearcuate bearing surface and extends between the front and rear flangesto cover the same. With this configuration, the cover shell isrelatively inexpensive since it does not fill the space between thefront and rear flanges with any significant amount of material. Thisdesign can provide a safe, inexpensive and aesthetically pleasing coverfor the flanges on the load bearing body.

In another embodiment, the cover shell includes a shell portion 22 andan energy absorbing adapter portion 24 integral with the shell portion.In one example, the two portions are attached by an integral hingeconnector 30 and the adapter portion is pivoted at the hinge connectorwhen mounting the adapter portion on the D-ring body.

In a more specific example, the D-ring body 12 has a mounting openingfor an anchor fastener and the guide loop assembly has an annularbearing member which is into the opening in a D-ring body. A guidemember or an impact protection member (or a member that functions asboth) is distinct from the annular bearing member in one embodiment andis mounted on the body. The guide member or impact protection member hasa pivot portion for pivoting of the body about the pivot portion. Withthis configuration, the hinged attachment of the annular bearing membersecures the guide member or impact protection member to the body at thepivoting portion while permitting the pivoting of the body relative tothe guide member or protection member (or vis-a-vis) to mount the guidemember or protection member on the body.

In accordance with one embodiment, a one-piece shell cover portion forcovering the belt loop and a bushing cover portion for receiving thefastener are connected by a flexible hinge. An impact protection coverfor covering of the fastener and the front of the assembly is pivotableat the hinge for movement from a fastener access position to a closed,covering position. Preferably, the hinge connection comprises a flexiblehinge strap on the one-piece cover and a split pin having a threadingslot on the impact cover.

In accordance with a further embodiment, there is provided a method of ahinging assembly of an impact cover and the shell, bushing cover andtheir positioning on the core.

In another embodiment, the guide loop assembly has a D-ring, core bodywith spaced front and rear flanges forming a space therebetween, and abearing surface for the seat belt extending therebetween. A cover shellextends between the front flange and the rear flange for covering atleast a portion of a space between the front and rear flanges. A base ispivotally attached to the shell for pivoting the base relative to theshell and body to mount the base on the body. In addition, a covermember distinct from the base member is attached to the base. Theseconfigurations provide a simple, inexpensive way to assemble the guideloop assembly while providing an aesthetically pleasing design.

In yet another embodiment, a guide loop assembly for a seat belt has aD-ring body generally including front and rear sides and a belt bearingsurface configured for supporting the seat belt to extend between thefront and rear sides of the body. A front cover member is mounted tocover at least a portion of the front side of the body, while a rearcover member is mounted to cover at least a portion of the rear side ofthe body. The rear cover member is distinct from the front cover member.This design can provide a safe, inexpensive and aesthetically pleasingcover for the load bearing body.

In another embodiment, the seat belt extends through an opening in thebody in a fore and aft direction (or in other words from the front andrear sides of the body in contrast to a side-to-side or lateraldirection). The front and rear cover members are configured to be movedor shifted in the fore and aft directions for mating to the body duringassembly. This is in direct contrast with the Janz '327 patent thatmates its profiles laterally to cover the core of the guide loopassembly.

In an additional embodiment, the body may have front and rear flangesthat extend along its periphery. Front and rear decorative coverportions respectively cover the front and rear flanges along theperiphery of the D-ring body.

In accordance with an embodiment, a D-ring assembly is provided withfront and rear covers that are interlocked to capture a metal guide looptherebetween, a bolt or fastener used to secure the D-ring assembly tothe vehicle and a belt receiving slot in the guide loop are covered byanother cover member, preferably having an energy absorbing adaptercovering the fastener. In this embodiment, the front and rear covers maybe snap-fit or welded together to capture the metal guide looptherebetween. The preferred another cover member has energy absorbingfeatures and is hinged to a base member which is positioned behind therear cover member.

In yet a further aspect, a snap-fit connection between the front andrear cover members clamps the covers onto the body. This may beaccomplished by using a hooked tab and hole connection at least at twoseparate locations, such as two spaced shoulders or upper ends onU-shaped front and back covers. Additionally, a hooked tab may beprovided and extending in the fore and aft direction on one coverengages a hole on the other cover at a third location, such asunderneath the load-bearing beam on the body, providing a three pointconnection and safely securing the covers to the body even if one of theconnections is unintentionally disengaged. These configurations providea simple, inexpensive way to assemble the guide loop assembly whileproviding an aesthetically pleasing design.

Various exemplary embodiments will be described below with reference tothe drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a guide loop assembly 10 has a load-bearing body12 that generally foams a front side 14 and a rear side 16. The body 12has a load-bearing wall 18 for a seat belt 20 to ride or slide on whileextending through the guide loop assembly. A shell 22 and an adapter 24are mounted on the body 12. The adapter 24 includes both a cover member26 (also referred to as a guide member or impact protection member) anda base 28 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). In one embodiment, a hingeconnection or portion 30 attaches the base 28 to the shell 22 such thatthe base is integral with (i.e. integrally formed with) the shell 22.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the load-bearing wall 18 of the body 12 iscurved or arcuate in cross-section (seen best in FIG. 4) with an upperbelt-bearing surface 32 used to support the seat belt 20 (or otherelongated webbing as shown in FIG. 1) as the seat belt extends betweenthe front and rear sides 14, 16 of the body. Viewing the body 12 fromthe rear (FIG. 3), the bearing wall 18 is generally linear (from left toright) and is connected to two curved ends 34, 36. The wall 18 and ends34, 36 cooperate to generally form a U-shape.

The ends 34, 36 of the body 12 extend upward until they attach to anupper mounting plate 38. The plate 38 has a circular opening 40 thatreceives an anchor fastener or bolt 42 (shown in dash in FIG. 4)extending from a wall of a vehicle (not shown) so that the guide loopassembly 10 can be mounted on the vehicle.

A belt opening 44 on the body 12 spaces the mounting plate 38 from thebearing surface 32, and receives the seat belt 20 from the front andrear sides 14, 16 of the body 12. In one embodiment, the bearing surface32 faces the opening 44 so that the seat belt 20 sits directly on top ofthe bearing surface 32. For this purpose, the body 12 is made of steelor other metal with a low friction finish but can be made of other typesof materials that have sufficient strength to withstand the forcesexerted by the seat belt while permitting the seat belt to slide on thebody.

As shown in FIGS. 3-4, the belt bearing wall 18 curves outward anddownward to form a front flange or rim 46 on the front side 14 of thebody 12 and a rear flange or rim 48 on the rear side 16 of the body. Theflanges 46, 48 extend along the curved ends 34, 36 on the body 12 andare generally parallel to each other such that a space 50 exists betweenthem. Each flange 46, 48 has an outer periphery 52, 54, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5, the front periphery 52 on the front flange 46extends along a curved extension or tab 56 that widens the front flange46. An elongated groove 58 runs along the length of the front flange 46and generally parallel to the front periphery 52. The groove 58 isuniformly spaced back from the periphery 52 except at the base of thetab 56.

Referring to FIG. 3, viewing shell 22 from the rear, it has ahorizontal, linear, bottom beam 60 attached to two upwardly extending,curved pieces 62, 64 to generally form a U-shape that aligns with thebearing wall 18 and the curved ends 34, 36 on the body 12. As shown inFIG. 6, the beam 60 has a concave configuration (relative to the arcuatebearing wall 18) with an arcuate, generally U-shaped cross-section, afront rim 66 and a rear rim 68.

Referring again to FIG. 4, at the center of beam 60, the beam has anupwardly extending support fin 70 that fits within space 50 between thefront and rear flanges 46, 48 of the body 12. The support fin 70 isshaped to at least generally position and hold the shell 22 on thebearing wall 18 of the body 12. In one embodiment, the support fin 70also cooperates with the front rim 66 to grasp the front flange 46 ofthe bearing wall 18. For this purpose, this configuration contemplatesthe support fm 70 being smaller than space 50 so that the fin has aslight amount of room (in the front-to-back and up-down directions) toshift within space 50 between the flanges 46, 48. However, it will beappreciated that the support fin 70 may be sized to provide a tight orsnug snap-fit within space 50. A tool hole 72 is merely provided on theshell 22 in order to provide a mold to form the support fin 70 duringmanufacture of the shell.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the front and rear rims 66, 68 of the shell22 are respectively connected to the flanges 46, 48 of the body 12. Morespecifically, an upper edge 74 on the front flange 46 extends along andengages the groove 58. In this position, the front rim 66 covers thefront periphery 52 of the front flange 46 of the bearing wall 18. Anupper edge 76 of the rear rim 68 engages the rear flange 48 of theload-bearing wall 18 at its periphery 54.

This configuration efficiently provides an aesthetically pleasing shapeby eliminating material from within space 50 while covering at least aportion of the flanges 46, 48, and enclosing the space 50. It will beappreciated, however, that the rims 66, 68 may only cover certain areasor portions of the front and rear rims 36, 38 of the body 12 or thespace 50. Thus, the shell 22 may have patterned or arrayed structures,holes or beams, or may not cover or attach to, the entire length of theflanges 46, 48 so that only certain portions of space 50 are coveredrather than completely enclosing it to further save material costs or toprovide a more aesthetically pleasing embodiment.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the shell 22 also has a hanger plate 78 witha central groove or cut-out 80 that opens at a bottom edge 82 of thehanger plate 78. Upper ends 84, 86 of the curved pieces 62, 64 attach toopposite sides of the hanger plate 78, and in one embodiment, the hangerplate 78 is integrally formed with the upper ends 84, 86.

Referring to FIG. 4, the hanger plate 78 is mounted on a rearwardlyextending collar 88 on the body 12 and around the mounting opening 40.The cut-out 80 is provided so that the hanger plate 78 avoidsinterfering with the anchor fastener 42 while providing stability to theshell 22 and an additional location to mount the shell 22 to the body12.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the adapter 24 includes the base 28 connectedby the hinge connection 30 to the hanger plate 78 of the shell 22. Thus,in one embodiment, the hinge 30 and the base 28 is integrally formedwith the shell 22. In this case, all of the elements of the shell, butat least the main beam 60 and rims 66, 68 mounted under the load bearingwall 18 of the body, form a shell portion 100 that is integrally formedwith an adapter portion 102 made of the base 28 or any other structurethat forms part of the adapter 24 and is to be mounted on the body 12.

For one embodiment, the hinge connection 30 is a flexible, thin strip orstrap of the same material that forms the adapter portion 102 and theshell portion 100. Other mechanical substitutes are contemplated,however, such as interlocking, pivoting or bending plates or members,with or without a pivot pin, or any other equivalent structure thatpermits the adapter portion 102 to pivot relative to the shell portion100, and in turn the body 12, while the hinge connection 30 connects theadapter portion 102 to the shell portion 100.

Base 28 has an annular bearing member 104 that has a distal end 106 witha plurality of hooks 108. The annular bearing member 104 extends throughopening 40 on the body 12 to mount the base 28 on the rear side 16 ofthe body 12 while using the hooks 108 to engage and clamp onto the frontside 14 of the body 12 on the upper mounting plate 38. The annularbearing member 104 is sized to permit the guide loop assembly 10 torotate about the anchor fastener 32.

The base 28 also has a locking tab 110 extending within opening 44 onthe body 12 and has a hooked end 112 turned back to engage the uppermounting plate 38 on the front side 14 of the body in order to furthersecure the base 28 to the body.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3, a back side 114 of the hangar plate 78 on theshell 22 has two spaced, ramped, guide projections 116 that respectivelyengage two guide slots 118 formed on the base 28 (FIG. 2). Theseconnections are provided to maintain alignment between the shell 22, andin turn the body 12, and the base 28 of the adapter 24 when the base ismounted on the body 12 (as shown in FIG. 4) and when the guide loopassembly 10 is being rotated about fastener 42.

Referring again to FIGS. 3-4 and 8, the hinge 30 can be bent as shown byarrow A in FIG. 8, so that the base 28 is mounted on the rear side 14 ofthe body 12 while the cover member 26, which also forms part of theadapter 24, is mounted on the front side 16 of the body 12 and isattached to the base 28 through and over the body 12. The cover member26 is mounted on the front side 14 of the body 12 by attaching to thetab 110 on the base 28 and by attaching to the hinge connection 30. Thisconfiguration clamps and secures the hanger plate 78 of the shell 22 andthe upper mounting plate 38 of the body 12 between the base 28 and thecover member 26.

The cover member 26 has a bottom wall 120 that extends through theopening 44 for the seat belt 20. The wall 120 is spaced from the bearingsurface 32 so that a thin slot 122 (FIG. 4) is formed between them torestrict the vertical movement of the seat belt 20 on the guide loopassembly 10 and to maintain the seat belt in alignment with and/or incontact with the bearing surface 32. Due to this function, the covermember 26 may also be referred to as a guide member.

The cover member 26 is secured to the base 28 at its lower end 130 byproviding a pair of spaced, upwardly extending projections 124 on aninterior face 126 of the bottom wall 120 that interlocks with acorresponding pair of projections 128 extending downward from lockingtab 110.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 7 and 8, on the upper end 132 of the cover member26, the cover member has a pivot portion 134 disposed within an indent136 along a top edge 138 of the cover member 26. The pivot portion 134includes at least one pivot shaft, but in one embodiment, two elongatedpivot shafts 140, 142 with one shaft 142 lying forward the other shaft140. The pivot shafts 140, 142 have a semi-circular cross-section withenlarged, semi-circular heads 144 at their distal, cantilevered ends 146of the shafts. Opposing, elongated, flat surfaces 148 on the shafts 140,142 run the length of the shafts. The shafts 140, 142 are oppositelydisposed relative to each other such that they extend from opposingsidewalls 150, 152 of the indent 136.

The shafts 140, 142 are also sufficiently elastic so that they can bebent out of the way in order to place the hinge strap 30 between theforward-most shaft 142 and a back wall 154 of the indent 136. For thispurpose, the hanger plate 78 has an elongated gap 156 (FIG. 8) runningvertically from a top edge 158 to an edge 160 forming the cut-out 80.This permits further lateral bending or twisting of hinge 30, and inturn hanger plate 78 if needed, to position the hinge 30 within thepivot portion indent 136. It will be appreciated that the gap 156 may beshorter than the entire height of the hanger plate 78 or may even beeliminated depending on the structure and materials forming hinge 30.Once hinge 30 is positioned in indent 136, the base 28, and in turn itsannular bearing member 104, can be pivoted to mount the base 24 on thebody 12 by bending the hinge strap 30 around the two shafts 140, 142 asshown in FIG. 4. This clamps the shafts 140, 142 together against theiropposing flat surfaces 148.

In this position, the upper end 132 of the cover member 26 is firmlysecured to the shell 22 and base 28, and in turn the body 12, whilestill being able to pivot (as shown by arrow B in FIG. 3) relative tothe shell base and body (or vis-a-vis) so that the lower end 130 of thecover member 26 can be secured to the tab 110 of the base. The enlargedheads 144 of the shafts 140, 142 prevent the hinge strap 30 from slidinglaterally and off of the shafts.

When assembling the covers 22 and 24 with the core 12, the flexiblestrap 30 may be threaded through the split pin on the energy absorbingadapter to hinge connect these two separate, distinct covers. The lowershell portion, as seen in FIG. 3, may be raised to cover the lower beltguide loop of the core. Then upper bushing portion of the shell portionmay be swung down to insert the bushing into the fastener receivingopening 40 in the core 12 thereby providing a preassembly of the coverswith the core. At installation on the vehicle, the bolt fastener 42 isthreaded through lined bushing 40 and threaded to the vehicle and thenthe impact protection cover 26 is pivoted down and latched or snapfitted at snap fit projections 124, 128 to cover the bolt head and tosecure the cover member 26 to the shell cover 22.

Referring to FIGS. 3-4, in one embodiment the cover member 26 is shapedto cover the mounting hole 40 while abutting or opposing the end 162 ofthe anchor fastener 42. The cover member 26 has internal energyabsorbing fins 164 in order to absorb energy received from forces froman occupant impacting on the cover member 26. For this function, thecover member 26 may also be referred to as an impact protection member.It will be appreciated however that the adapter 24 may perform one ofthe functions mentioned above (guide or protect), both of thesefunctions or neither of them, and may merely be used for aestheticreasons.

It will be appreciated that the guide loop assembly 10 still fallswithin the scope of the invention even though it may be anchored to avehicle in other ways than simply mounting the assembly on an anchorfastener or anchor bolt on the wall of a vehicle.

Referring to FIGS. 9-10B, a guide loop assembly 210 includes aload-bearing, D-ring body 212 clamped between a front cover member 250and a rear cover member 252 that is distinct from the front covermember. The body holds a seat belt 222 extending through it and also hasan energy-absorbing adapter 300 mounted on the body 212 to restrict thespace for the seat belt 222 to move on the body and to absorb energy ifstruck by a passenger's head during an accident. Each of these parts isdescribed in further detail below.

The D-ring body 212 is usually made of metal and generally includes afront side 214 and a rear side 216. The body 212 also has a curved orarcuate load-bearing wall 218 (seen best on FIG. 10A) with an upperbelt-bearing surface 220 used to support a seat belt 222 (or otherelongated webbing) as the seat belt 222 extends between the front andrear sides 214, 216 of the body 212. Viewing the body 212 from thefront, the bearing wall 218 is generally linear (from left to right) andis connected to two curved ends 124, 226. The wall 218 and ends 224, 226cooperate to generally form a U-shape.

The ends 224, 226 of the body 212 extend upward until they attach to anupper mounting plate 228. The plate 228 has a circular opening 230 thatreceives an anchor fastener or bolt 232 (shown in dash on FIG. 11A)extending from a wall of a vehicle (not shown) so that the guide loopassembly 210 can be mounted on the vehicle.

A belt opening 234 on the body 212 spaces the mounting plate 228 fromthe bearing surface 220, and receives the seat belt 222 from a fore andaft direction. Arrows A and B on FIG. 10A generally indicate the foreand aft (or front and rear) directions, respectively, relative to thefront and rear sides 214, 216 of the body 212. In one embodiment, thebearing surface 220 faces the opening 234 so that the seat belt 222 sitsdirectly on top of the bearing surface 220. The body 212 is made ofsteel, but can be made of other types of metals or materials that havesufficient strength to withstand the forces exerted by the seat belt atthe time of loading of the seat belt by the passenger's body at the timeof an accident.

As shown on FIGS. 11A-12, the belt bearing wall 218 extends outward anddownward to form a front flange or rim 236 on the front side 214 of thebody 212 and a rear flange or rim 238 on the rear side 1216 of the body.The rims 236, 238 extend along the curved ends 224, 226 on the body 212(best seen in FIG. 10A) and are generally parallel to each other suchthat a space 240 exists between them. Each rim 236, 238 has an outerperiphery 242, 244, respectively.

In the perspective view of FIG. 10B, it will be seen that the D-ringbody 212 has the outer extending periphery 242 on the front rim 236extends along a curved extension or tab 1246 that widens the front rim236. An elongated groove 248 runs along the length of the front rim 236and generally parallel to the front periphery 242. The groove 248 may begenerally uniformly spaced back from the periphery 242 except at thebase of the tab 246.

Referring again to FIG. 10A, the guide loop assembly 210 has a frontcover member 250 mounted on the front side 214 of the body 212, and arear cover member 252 mounted on the rear side 216 of the body. Thefront and rear cover members 250, 252 engage each other to clamp ontothe body 212, as will be explained hereinafter.

Viewing the front cover member 250 from the front, it has a horizontal,linear, bottom beam 254 attached to two upwardly extending, curvedpieces 256, 258 to generally form a U-shape that aligns with the bearingwall 218 and the curved ends 224, 226 on the front side 214 of the body212.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 12, the bottom beam 254 of the front covermember 250 has an inwardly slanted, curved, or generally L-shapedcross-section with a front portion 260 generally extending along andcovering at least portions of the front side 214 of the D-ring body 212.A bottom portion 262 of the beam 254 generally extends beneath the body212 in order to cover at least portions of the front rim 236 and frontperiphery 242 of the metal guide loop flange.

Referring again to FIG. 10A, the rear cover member 252, which is adistinct component from the front cover member 250, is adapted to bemounted on the rear side 216 of the body 212. Viewed from the front, therear cover member 252 has a bottom beam 264 attached to two, upwardlyextending curved pieces 266, 268 also generally forming a U-shape withbeam 264 and that aligns with the rear side 216 of the body 212.

The rear cover member 252 also has an upper hanger plate 270 formounting the rear cover member on the D-ring body and the upper hangerplate has a central groove or cut-out 272 that opens at a bottom edge274 of the hanger plate. Upper ends 276, 278 of the curved pieces 266,268 attach to opposite sides of the hanger plate 270, and in oneembodiment, the hanger plate 270 is integrally formed with the upperends 266, 268.

Referring to FIG. 11A, the rear cover, hanger plate 270 is mounted on arearwardly extending collar 280 on the D-ring body 212 and around theopening 230. The cut-out 272 is provided so that the hanger plate 270avoids interfering with the anchor fastener 232 while providingstability to the rear cover member 252 and an additional location tomount the rear cover member 252 to the body 212.

Referring again to FIGS. 11A-12, the beam 264 of the rear cover member252 also can have a curved, bent or slanted cross-section that extendson the rear side 216 of the body 212. The beam 264 extends downwarduntil it terminates at a bottom edge 284 that abuts a bottom edge 286 ofthe front cover member 250.

At the center of beam 264 as shown on FIG. 11A, the beam has an upwardlyextending support fin 288 that fits within space 240 between the frontand rear rims 236, 238 of the load-bearing wall 218 on the D-ring body212. The support fm 288 is shaped to at least generally position andhold the rear cover member 252 on the bearing wall 218 of the D-ringbody 212 when the rear and front cover members 250, 252 are beingattached to each other on the body. The support fin 288 cooperates withthe front cover member 250 to cover grasp the front rim 236 of thebearing wall 218. The support fm 288 is smaller than space 240 so thatthe fin has a slight amount of room (in the front-to-back and up-downdirections) to shift within space 240 between the rims 236, 238 (asshown in FIG. 11A). However, it will be appreciated that the support fincould be sized to provide a tight or snug snap-fit within space 240.

To connect the front and rear cover members 250, 252 to the rims 236,238, an outer, upper edge 290 on the front cover member extends alongand engages the groove 248 and covers the front periphery 242 and tab246 on the front rim 236. An outer, upper edge 292 of the rear covermember 252 engages the rear rim 238 of the load-bearing wall 218 at itsperiphery 244. This configuration provides a much more aestheticallypleasing shape by covering at least a portion of the rims or flanges236, 238. It will be appreciated, however, that the edges 290, 292 ofthe cover members 250, 252 may only cover certain areas or portions ofthe front and rear rims 236, 238 of the body 212.

The front and rear cover members 250, 252 are shaped to be shifted inthe fore and aft directions A, B (shown in FIG. 10A) respectively tomate them together and clamp the cover members 250, 252 onto the D-ringbody 212. In one embodiment as shown in FIGS. 9-12, the front and rearcover members 250, 252 are sonic welded to each other to clamp them tothe body 212. The bottom edge 284 of the rear cover member 252 has anelongated, weld concentrator rib 294 shown in FIG. 11B in itspre-assembled state.

As shown in FIGS. 11A-12, once the front and rear cover members 250, 252are placed on the body 212 and the weld concentrator 294 is placedagainst the outer edge 286 of the front cover member 250, the covermembers 250, 252 are welded together along their bottom edges 284, 286so that the weld concentrator 294 forms a weld which secures the bottomedge 286 of the front cover member 250 to the bottom edge 284 of therear cover member 252. For this embodiment, any similar welding processthat can be used to attach two distinct cover pieces together may beused. It will also be appreciated that the weld concentrator 294 couldbe placed on either or both cover members 250, 252. The weldconcentrator 294 also extends continuously for about the entire lengthof the bottom edge 284 in one embodiment but may be spaced along edge284 or placed only at specific points or areas along the edge 284 aslong as the strength requirements for the connection are met by theweld. In one embodiment, the welding takes place at more than onelocation or point along the edges2 84, 286 in case one of the welds or aportion of the weld fails.

It will be appreciated that the front and rear cover members 250, 252cooperate to cover at least a portion of the space 240 between the rims236, 238, and in one embodiment as shown in FIG. 12, the covers 250, 252completely enclose the space 240 although that need not always be thecase. The front and rear cover members 250, 252 may be provided in avariety of configurations as long as the two cover members cooperate tocover the space 240 from front to back between the body's rims 236, 238.Thus, the covers may have patterned or arrayed structures, holes orbeams, or may not cover the entire length of the rims 236, 238 so thatonly certain portions of space 240 are covered to save material costs orto provide a more aesthetically pleasing embodiment.

In another alternative embodiment (although not shown) the coveringportions of the covers 250, 252, such as beams 254 and 264, havesubstantially the same but symmetrical cross-sections.

Referring now to FIGS. 13-17, in another embodiment a guide loopassembly 211 (generally indicated on FIG. 14) has front and rear covermembers 213, 215 that are snap-fit together by, for example, hook andgroove connections 255 (FIG. 17) or hook and slot connections 257 (FIG.14), rather than welded together. All features of assembly 211 that aresimilar to features of assembly 210 have similar reference numerals.

As shown in FIGS. 13-14, a rear cover member 215 has a bottom slot 217that narrows to a rear opening 219 on a bottom beam 221. A locking edgeor wall 223 forms a lower edge of the rear opening 219. As shown inFIGS. 14-15, a front cover member 213 has a hooked tab 225 extendinginteriorly and cantilevered from a bottom beam 227. The tab 225 extendsin a front-to-back direction and has a distal hook end 229. When thefront and rear cover members 213, 215 are pressed onto the body in thefore and aft directions A, B (indicated in FIG. 10A) the tab 225 slidesrearward until it abuts the back of slot 217 and then slides downwarduntil the hook end 229 is locked on the locking edge 223. It will beappreciated that either cover member 213, 215 could have the tab 225 orthe slot 217 receiving the tab.

The upper portions of the front and rear covers 213 and 215 may also beattached to one another. To this end, as best seen in FIG. 7, a pair ofsymmetrical, top shoulders 231, 233 are respectively disposed on theupward extending curved pieces 256, 258 on the front cover member 213.The front, left shoulder 231 is disposed on the curved piece 256, andthe front, right shoulder 233 is disposed on the curved piece 258 (leftand right are defined while viewing the front cover member 213 on thefront or exterior side of the cover member 213). Respectively, eachshoulder 231, 233 has an interiorly extending, cantilevered hook 235,237 with an upward extending tip 239, 241. As shown on FIG. 13, the rearcover member 215 also has rear, left and right shoulders 243 and 245 atthe upper ends 276, 278 of curved pieces 266, 268 respectively, oneshoulder 243 or 245 being disposed on the left and right of the hangerplate 270 and cut-out 272.

As shown on FIG. 16, the top, right shoulder 245 has a downwardlyextending projection 247 that engages the hook 237 as shown on FIG. 17.A projection 249 (shown on FIG. 13) on the rear, left shoulder 243similarly engages the hook 235 on the front left shoulder 231, so thatboth top shoulders from both cover members 213, 215 can be snappedtogether. This three-point snap-on connection between front and rearcover members 213, 215 provides an efficient, inexpensive way toassemble the guide loop assembly 211 and secure the front and rear covermembers 213, 215 to the body 212. The separate connections 255, 257provide further safety in case one of the snap-fit connections fails oris unintentionally disengaged.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 15, the hooks 235, 237 and projections 247,249 are formed on outer edges 251 or 253 of the shoulders 231, 233, 243,245 so that the snap-fit connections 255 themselves are disposed on theouter edges 251, 253 of the shoulders. This acts to further easeassembly when engaging the hooks 235, 237 on the projections 247, 249 sothat one can slide laterally onto the other. It will be appreciated,however, that the snap-fit connections 255 may be shorter or longer ordiscontinuous (in the left and right direction relative to thefront-rear direction of the guide loop assembly) than that illustratedand may be spaced away from the outer edges 251, 253 of the shoulders.

It will also be appreciated that the front and back covers may snaptogether at least at two separate locations, or even more than threelocations. For instance, the front and back cover members 213, 215 maysnap together only on the corresponding shoulders 231, 233, 243, 245 oronly with one pair of engaging shoulders on the left or right, with orwithout the separate, lower tab 225 connection 257. It will also beappreciated a snap-fit connection between front and back cover members213, 215 that engage in a front-back or fore-aft direction can bedisposed anywhere along the rim of the cover members 213, 215 and may bebuilt from projections extending from interiorly of a rim of the covermembers 213, 215. Alternatively, the front and rear covers could besnap-fit onto a portion of the D-ring body, if it were redesigned tohave portions that are snap-fit with the respective front and rearcovers.

Referring now to FIGS. 11A and 18, the guide loop assembly 210 and 211has an adapter 300 (also referred to as a guide member or protectionmember) with a rear base 302 connected by a hinge 304 to a frontprotection cover 306 (also shown in FIG. 9). In one form, the adapter300 is a distinct component from the body 212 and the front and rearcover members 250, 252. As shown on FIG. 11A, the base 302 has anannular bearing portion, or bushing for mounting within the fastenerreceiving hole 230 in the D-ring body 212. Herein, this bushing orcollar is in the form of a locking collar 308 as one example that has adistal end 326 with a plurality of hooks 328. The collar 308 extendsthrough opening 230 on the body 212 to mount the base 302 on the rearside 216 of the body 212 while using the hooks 328 to engage and clamponto the front side 214 of the body 212 on the upper mounting plate 228.The locking collar 308 is sized to permit the guide loop assembly 210 torotate about the anchor fastener 232.

Referring to FIGS 10A-11B, the adapter also may be attached to theD-ring body at other locations such as at the bottom thereof. Forinstance, the adapter base 302 also has a locking tab 310 extendingwithin opening 234 on the body 212 and has a hooked end 312 turned backto engage the upper mounting plate 228 on the front side 214 of the bodyin order to further secure the base 302 to the body.

In the final installation of the adapter 300, the upper energy absorbingcover portion is pivoted down to cover the bolt fastener and then issecured in this operative position. For this purpose, as best seen inFIGS. 19-20, a back side 330 of the mounting plate 270 on the rear covermember 252 has two spaced, ramped, guide projections 332 that engage twoguide slots 334 (shown on FIG. 20) formed on the base 302 of the adapter300. These connections are provided to maintain alignment between therear cover member 252, and in turn the body 212 and front cover member250, and the adapter 300 when the adapter is mounted on the body 212 andwhen the guide loop assembly 210 is being rotated about fastener 232.

Referring again to FIGS. I0A-11B, the hinge 304 can be bent so that thefront protection cover 306 is mounted on the front side 214 of the body212 by attaching to the tab 310 on the base 302. With thisconfiguration, the hanger plate 270 of the rear cover member 252 and theupper mounting plate 228 are clamped, and thereby secured between thebase 302 and protection cover 306.

Referring to FIG. 11A, the protection cover 306 has a bottom wall 314that extends to cover the upper portion of the opening 234 for the seatbelt 222 in the D-ring body 212. The wall 314 is spaced from the bearingsurface 220 so that a thin slot 316 is formed between them to restrictthe vertical movement of the seat belt 222 on the guide loop assembly210 and to maintain the seat belt in alignment with the bearing surface220.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 20, the protection cover 306 is secured tothe base 302 by providing a pair of spaced, upwardly extendingprojections 318 (best seen on FIG. 20) on an interior face 320 of thebottom wall 314 that interlocks with a corresponding pair of projections322 extending downward from locking tab 310. This configuration providesa simple snap-fit connection securing the adapter 300 on the body 212.

In one embodiment, the protection cover 306 is shaped to abut or opposethe end 336 of the anchor fastener 232 with energy absorbing fins 338(also shown in FIG. 10A) in order to absorb forces received from anoccupant impacting on the protection cover 306 and deforming the fins338.

It will be appreciated that the cover members 250, 252 do not require anadapter 300 in all embodiments, and that the cover members could beself-securing such that they are secured to the body 212 without the aidof any adapter 300. As another alternative, adhesives, fasteners,clamps, or many other structures, if needed at all, can be used asadditional structure for securing the front and rear cover members 250,252 to each other and to the body 212 instead of an adapter.

It will also be appreciated that the guide loop assembly 10, 210 stillfalls within the scope of the invention even though it may be anchoredto a vehicle in other ways other than simply mounting the assembly on ananchor fastener or anchor bolt on the wall of a vehicle.

Given the disclosure of the present invention, one versed in the artwould appreciate that there may be other embodiments and modificationswithin the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, allmodifications attainable by one versed in the art from the presentdisclosure within the scope and spirit of the present invention are tobe included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scopeof the present invention is to be defined as set forth in the followingclaims.

1. A seat belt device comprising: a seat belt; and a guide loop assemblyfor guiding and supporting the seat belt, the guide loop assemblyincluding: a load bearing body with a load bearing wall and an openingthrough which the seat belt passes; an integral and one-piece cover andbase portion, the cover covers a lower portion of the load bearing body;a hinge portion integral with the cover and base portion and configuredto allow a folding hinge movement of the cover relative to the baseportion; and an impact protection cover mounted on a load bearing body.2. The seat belt device of claim 1, wherein the impact protection coverincludes energy absorbing fins configured to absorb energy received fromforces from an occupant impacting the impact protection cover.
 3. Theseat belt device of claim 1, wherein the base portion includes anannular bushing portion configured to be inserted into a fastenerreceiving portion in the load bearing body.
 4. The seat belt device ofclaim 1, wherein the impact protection cover extends through the openingof the load bearing body.
 5. A guide loop assembly for a seat belt, theguide loop assembly comprising: a core body having spaced front and rearflanges and an arcuate bearing surface for the seat belt extendingtherebetween; and an arcuate shell having a concave configurationrelative to the arcuate bearing surface and extending between the frontand rear flanges thereof.
 6. The guide loop assembly of claim 5, whereinthe core body and arcuate shell include connecting structure formounting the shell to the body.
 7. The guide loop assembly of claim 5,wherein the arcuate shell includes a shell portion and an adapterportion integral therewith.
 8. The guide loop assembly of claim 7,wherein the arcuate shell portion and adapter portion include anintegral hinge connector therebetween.
 9. The guide loop assembly ofclaim 5, wherein the body includes an elongate opening in which thearcuate bearing surface extends, and a mounting opening, the guide loopassembly further comprising: an annular bearing member for extending inthe mounting opening; and a guide member distinct from the annularbearing member for being mounted to the body to extend on the elongateopening spaced from the bearing surface for forming a slot openingthrough which the seat belt extends.
 10. The guide loop assembly ofclaim 9, wherein the arcuate shell and annular bearing member include anintegral hinge extending therebetween, and the distinct guide member hasat least one pivot shaft about which the hinge is bent for fitting theannular bearing member on the mounting opening.
 11. The guide loopassembly of claim 5, wherein the body flanges form an open channel, thearcuate shell has an open channel facing the body open channel, andconnecting structure in the respective channels for mounting the shellto the body.
 12. A guide loop assembly for a seat belt, the guide loopassembly comprising: a body having a mounting opening for an anchorfastener and a bearing surface for the seat belt; an annular bearingmember having a hinge for pivoting the bearing member to fit theopening; and an impact protection member for covering the mountingopening and anchor fastener therewith, and having a pivot portion forpivoting of the body thereabout.
 13. The guide loop assembly of claim12, wherein the impact protection member has a guide portion spaced fromthe bearing surface for forming a slot opening through which the seatbelt extends.
 14. The guide loop assembly of claim 12, wherein the hingecomprises a strap portion, and the pivot portion comprises at least onepivot shaft about which the strap portion is bent for pivoting theannular bearing.
 15. The guide loop assembly of claim 14, wherein atleast one pivot shaft comprises a pair of elongate pivot shafts eachhaving an enlarged end oppositely disposed relative to each other forsecure pivoting of the hinge strap portion thereabout.
 16. A guide loopassembly for a seat belt, the guide loop assembly comprising: a bodyhaving spaced front and rear flanges forming a space therebetween, and abearing surface for the seat belt extending the front and rear flanges;a shell extending between the front flange and the rear flange forcovering at least a portion of a space between the front and rearflanges; a base pivotally attached to the shell for pivoting the baserelative to the shell and body to mount the base on the body; and acover member distinct from the base member and attached to the base. 17.The guide loop assembly of claim 16, wherein the body generally formsfront and rear sides, the base and cover member each being generallydisposed on a different one of the sides of the body.
 18. A guide loopassembly for a seat belt comprising: a metal core body having afastener-receiving opening and a belt bearing surface; a one-piece coverhaving a cover portion for covering a lower portion of the core body; abase portion integrally formed with the cover portion of the one-piececover; a bushing portion on the base portion for being inserted into thefastener-receiving opening on the metal core body; an integral hingeportion on the one-piece cover between the bushing portion and the coverportion for a folding hinge movement relative to one another forpositioning on the core body; and an impact protection cover mounted onthe metal core body and positioned for impact by a passenger at the timeof an accident.
 19. The guide loop assembly of claim 18, wherein thehinge portion comprises: a strap between the cover portion and thebushing portion; and a pivot portion having a split pin for receivingthe strap on the impact protection cover.
 20. The guide loop assembly ofclaim 18, further comprising interconnecting portions on the one-piececover and the impact protection cover for interconnecting the one-piececover and the impact protection cover.
 21. The guide loop assembly ofclaim 18, wherein the hinge portion connects the cover portion and thebushing portion and the interconnecting portions connect the coverportion and the protective covers at a location spaced substantiallyfrom the hinge.
 22. A seat belt device comprising: a seat belt; and aguide loop assembly for guiding and supporting the seat belt, the guideloop assembly including: a load bearing body with a load bearing walland an opening through which the seat belt passes; a cover shell portionto cover at least a portion of the load bearing member; an impactprotection member; and a base portion, wherein the base portion includesan integrally formed hinge configured to form a folding hinge connectionwith the impact protection member or the cover shell portion.
 23. Theseat belt device of claim 22, wherein the cover shell portion is aone-piece cover. 24 The seat belt device of claim 22, wherein the covershell portion comprises a front cover and a distinct rear cover.